Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-03-23
POOR TEWFIK PASHA.
SKETCH OF THE MOST UNDlGNl-
FLED OF LIVING POTENTATES.

OF all living potentateS, certainly the most
undigniiied is His Highless Tewtik Pasha,
knedive of Egypt. The son Of a common
Feliah slave occupying a menial position in
the khedival household, who had momentarlly
captivated and subsequently disguised old
Ismail Pasha, Tewfk has little resemblance
to his half brothers, sons of the legitimate
wives. who all of them give one the impres-
sion of being gentlemen to the very tips of
their fingers.
The first time met him was in the spring
of 1879. at dinner given by his father, the
khedive Ismail | had arrived rather early
and was standing in the reception hall at the
top of the stairs talking with lsmail, when
the grand master of the ceremonies suddenly
announced de Prince Heritier. y Immediately
afterward an insignificant looking yonng man
with kind of hunted look about his eyes
shufiled up to his father, humbly kissed the
hem of his coat, and then with his hands
crossed OH his breast retired to distant cor
ner of the room, followed by the contemptu-
Gus glance of the old knedive, who, without
returning a single word Of greeting to his
son, went on talking with me. Nobody at
that time could forsee that ismails deposition
WIS So Htdl, dlti WIS t.ie VI
the very few who considered it worth their
while to show any courtesy to the young
prince During the following weeks saw a
good deal of him both officially and socially,
and used to be considerably amused to re-
mark how at balls and receptions he would
wander through the rooms talking with the
Europeans in the most contemptuous way
about the natives, and with the latter in an
equally disagreeable manner about the
former, utterly oblivious to the fact that
natives and Europeans subsequently com
pared notes on the subject. Gifted with the
innate Oriental taste for intrigue, most of
Tewfik's attempts at diplomacy have been
marked by similar chiIdishness. One cannot
however, blame him for the tinid, hunted
look about his eyes, for his life, especially
during the last few months preceding his
fathers deposition, was in great danger.
When | next saw Tewtik it was in the
autumn of 1883. His father was in exile, his
brothers banished, and the battle of Tel-el
kebir had been fought. With reference to
the Inter, my personal acquaintance with
Arab aud much discussion on the subject
with both natives and Europeans convince me
that the Arab movement was distinctly pro
NOTED and conniyed at in earlier stages by
Tewfik, and that he only withdrew therefrom
when he saw tho hopelessneSs of the cause
The true object of ArabIs insurreeUion ap.
pears to have been entirely lost sight of. 1t
was distinct movement of Mohammedans
against Christians, whom Arab promised to
drive out of the country. 1t must be borne
in mind that as usury is forbidden by the
Koran ali the moneylenders and bloodsuckers
in Egypt are either Christians or Jews; and
that owing to their inability to pay the heavy
taxes the starving peasantry have been
obliged to mortgage all their land Hence a
war against the Christians, which by driving
them out of the country would thereby liqui-
date all debts and mortgages, was exceed
ingly popular with the natives, and thoroughly
in accord with the innermost feelings of the
bigotod khedive.
His sympathy with Arab is proved by the
fact that all of his closer confidants and ad
herents. and all the relatives of his wife,
openly Joined in the movement up to the
arrival of British troops in Egypt Arabi a
mere Fellah, was but the igurehead, and
taking into consideration the incredibly ser
vile nature of the race, would never have
dared to go so far had he not been assured of
the effendinas secret sympathy notwith-
standing his official disapproval Without
venturing to assert that all the charges cs
completely which Lord Randolph Churchill
made against Tewfik are exact in every detail
(he has hitherto declined to withdraw them,
undoubtedly they are not entirely groundless.
II is this official loyalty coupled with private
traachery, this insane desire TO he all things
to all men, which causes Tewfik to be abso-
lutely without single devoted friend, either
native or European.
Poor Tewfiki | always think that his father
was right when he remarked to me about his
son that "he had neither heart nor head. y
Not content with having an official agent in
England when the Liberals were in power.
he was continually sending over secret ennis
saries, generally blunt tools, to intrigue with
the Conservatives, and Of course as soon as
Lord Salisbury assumed the reins of govern
ment, he attempted the same little game with
the Liberals Needless to add, the English
minister Plenipotentiary in Egypt was fully
aware of all this, and nothing was more
amusing than to watch Tewfik eagerly and
unblushingly swearing by the beard and Other
portions of the prophets sacred person that he
had never sent anybody to England, and
then to watch the queer, sceptical smile OF
Sir Evelyn Barring, who had the proofs TO The
contrary in his pocket Tewfk thereupon
with the object of changing this disagreeable
topic of conversation, and of turning it into
channels which he thought would be more
agreeable to the English diplomat, would
launch out into the most bitter abuse of the
French and of their representative. Half en-
hour later would find the khedive complain.
ing to the French plenipotentiary of Sir
Evelyn Baring's rudeness and of the intoler-
able conduct of the English in Egypt. Dur
ing the course of the day he would seek to
ingratiate himself with the German minister
by attacking the French colony, and with the
Russian representative by abusing the latter's
German colleague; leaving them all subse.
quently to compare notes. Then in the even
ing, when the audiences were at an end, be
would gather around him his native cronies
and begin to curse all around and in the most
indiScriminate manner 'thOse unclean dogs OF
Christians, whose mothers graves may the
pigs deiile!'-Egypt Cor. New York Tribune.